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A. G. FLETCHER.

I BOUND VOLUME OF BOOKS. No. 426,790. Patented Apr. 29, 1890.

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BOUND VOLUME OF BOOKS.

N0.426,'790. Patente 29,1890

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No. 426,790. Patented Apr. 29, 1890.

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No. 426,790. Patented Apr. 29, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

ADDISON O. FLETCHER, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

BO'UND VOLUME OF BOOKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,790, dated April29, 1890; Application filed December 12, 1889. Serial No. 333,465. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADDISON O. FLETCHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Bound Volumes of Books, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of bound volumes of books ofvarious kinds, whether the same contain printed matter or are compiledin blank for use as accountbooks, diaries, ledgers, or other purposes.

It is one purpose of my invention to pro .vide a simple and whollyinexpensive construction, whereby the person reading, consulting, ormaking entries in a book of any character, whether the same be ablank-book or a printed publication, shall be enabled to separate andturn the pages with ease and accuracy and without turning up the cornersof the leaves. This feature of my invention also contemplates aconstruction whereby the leaves may be turned in opposite directions bysimply-reversing the book, the entries being carried consecutively fromthe upper half of one page to the similar portion of the ensuing page,and so on throughout the volume, the latter being then turned end forend to bring the blank or unused lower portions of the several pagesinto a position for receiving entries, while the series of half pagesupon which entries have been previously made in consecutive order areinverted or turned upside down,in which position they form a base ofsupport for the hand and wrist of the writer or book-keeper, who fillsthe consecutive halves of the pages with his entries, using the lowerblank halves as a base of support for the hand and wrist.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide a blank-book having anovel tabulation or arrangement of the page-lining, the same beingdivided transversely of said pages in such manner as to constituteeither one single book or, if desired, a volume divided at any suitablepoint by a transverse blank space with or without a lining centrallyarranged in said space, thereby dividing the said pages by spaces,whereby the tabulation upon one side of said space may be used as onebook and that upon the other side either as another book or as acontinuation of the first volume,

the pages being numbered upon one side of said space in one directionand upon the other side in the opposite direction.

It is also one purpose of my present invention to provide and combinewith a book of any description simple means whereby the book when openedat any point shall remain open without the imposition of weights or anyother like devices. This feature of my invention comprises, also, anovel and simple construction and combination of parts whereby thebacking shall be supported and arched upward upon opening the book, theelastic supporting devices be lapped to slide or move transversely oneupon the other as the book opens and closes and exerting aspringpressure upon the backing whereby the latter is raised as the bookopens and sustained in its raised position and the leaves are allowed tolie naturally upon the outspread covers.

To enable others skilled in the art to practice my said invention I willdescribe the same in detail, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank-book suitable foraccounts or other entries represented as opened to illustrate thetabular arrangement or pagin Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the bookrepresented as closed, illustrating the method or form of trimming thetop edges of the leaves. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a book partly open,showing a modified system of tabulation. Fig. 4C is a similar viewshowing a modified method or form of trimming the top edges. Fig. 5 is aperspective view showing a modification for trimming the end edges. Fig.6 is a plan View of a book closed, showing the manner of indicating thedirection in which the book is to be opened. Fig. 7 is an end elevationof a volume showing the manner of attaching the elastic sustainingdevices. Fig. 8 is an end elevation showing the book opened andillustrating the action of the sustaining devices. Fig. 9 is a detailperspective of the elastic sustaining de-' vices detached, each being aduplicate or counterpart of the other. Fig. 10 is a plan view of theblank-book showing the division.

of the pages by a transverse space.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral 1 denotes any form of book,whether the same be bound up in print, in blank form, or as a I oo ruledledger or account-book. My invention contemplates both forms ofcompilation, and is adapted to either one in many of its features.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the referencc-numeral 1 designatesthe body of the book or other bound volume, composed of separateconsecutive sheets, each containing two pages. In accordance with myinvention I provide each one of these consecutive pages at or near themiddle or central portion with any suitable indication of divisionsuchasa transverse blank space-of suitable width, either with or without acentral transverse lining or ruling, whereby I form two substantiallysimilar sections or divisions upon each of the pages. I number thesesections or divisions consecutively as to the upper half portions ordivisions, the numerical designations running in regular order from thebeginning to the end of the book.

By examining Fig. 1. it will be seen that in making entries upon theupper halves of the pages, as, for example, upon those portions numberedas pages or half-pages 4A and 45, the similar lower portions of saidpages form a broad base of support for the wrist and hand of the user orthe book-keeper. hen those portions have been filled in the naturalorder in which they are numbered that is to say, proceeding from thebeginning toward the end of the book, as is usual in paging otherbooks-the book is reversed or turned end for end to constitute the rearend the beginning, and the lower page-sections are filled consecutivelyfrom the rear to the be ginning.

After having made whatever entries are required to fill the spaceinclosed by the series of half-pages whereof the numerals ll and 45 forma part, as an illustration, and having proceeded upon the first seriesof half-pages from the beginning of the volume to the end, the volume issimply turned end for end, whereby the paging-divisions shown in Fig. 1at the bottom of said figure and numbered thereon as the two hundred andseventeenth and two hundred and eighteenth half-pages are brought intoposition to receive the entries of the operator in the same consecutiveorder as in the other series of half-pages, save that under my inventionthe second series of half-pages read from the rear of the volume towardthe front, while the first series read from the front toward therearward portion of the volume.

To facilitate turning the leaves I adopt the construction shown in Figs.2, 3, 4:, and 5, in which I show the edge of the book trimmed obliquelyor in a plane forming an angle of less than ninety degress with theleaves, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, whereby the superimposed sheets arereadily separated from those upon which. they are laid. The thinner thepaper may be of which the leaves are formed the more acute will be theangle, or, in other words, the greater will be the obliquity of theplane upon which the overhang is formed. This rule also prevades theseveral forms shown and described, inasmuch as the angularity of theconverging ends shown in Fig. 4: increases in proportion to theincreased thinness of the paper, while the angle of the overhang shownin Figs. 1, 2, and 5 becomes more acute as the leaves grow thinner. As amodification of this construction, I may bevel off the angles 2 of thebook, as shown in Fig. 5, whereby I secure the same result, and whereby,also, the separation of the leaves is facilitated, inasmuch as theoverhang of the superimposed leaves is located at the end angle orcorner and entirely at that point instead of being distributed over theentire end of the book. These bevels of both descriptions are made at reverse angles or in substantial parallclisn'i with each other, as clearlyshown in Figs. 3 and 5, to permit the reversal of the book end for end,whereby the second series of half-sheets or half-pages are renderedaccessible. I may, however, trim the edges of the leaves in the mannershown in Fig. at by simply forming an angle of less than ninety degreesat the points 3, which are the usual points of contact of the fingers inturn ing the leaves, or, in other words, converging the end edges of theleaves toward the point where they unite with the backing, the angle ofconvergence being comparatively small.

Referring now to Figs. 7, 8, and 9, the numeral a denotes a plate formedof suitable sheet met-a1, preferably of spring metal, provided withhooks, catches, or other suitable devices 5, whereby said plate duringthe pro cess of manufacture of the book is attached or connectedtherewith by rigidly connecting the series of teeth 5, projecting fromone edge of said plate, with the backing 6 of the book before the coveror backing is attached, the arrangement being such that the free edge ofsaid plate shall lie closely against the said backing 0, while a secondand similar plate 7 is attached in like'manner to the opposite edge ofthe backing 6, and the free margin of this second plate overlaps andslides freely upon the margin of the other plate, both having an elasticlifting and sustaining action upon said backing when the book is opened,whereby the backing is raised, as shown in Fig. 8, and the leaves areparted and caused to lie open at any point, preserving the binding,promoting the durability of the book, and adding greatly to theconvenience of the person using the book.

It should be noted that the divided pages are numbered consecutively inopposite directions, the first series, as denoted by pages 4st and L5 inFig. 1, being initiated and 'continned in the direction indicated by thehand upon the outside cover in Fig. 6, which denotes the direction inwhich the leaves are naturally turned with reference to the over hang inFigs. 2 and 5. This overhang, whether it be formed at the end, as inFig. 2,

ITO

or at angles in Fig. 5, has precisely the same function, inasmuch as itgives a favorable position to the superimposed leaves to enable theoperator to lift and separate them,'and as the separation proceeds fromthe higher or more projecting angle of the overhang, down to the lessprominent angles or edges, the numbering or paging will follow in thesame direction.

It should be noted that I may employ the overhang S, or the modifiedoverhang shown in Fig. 5, either separately or conjointly, and

I may unite with the same the divergent trimming shown in Fig. 4. I mayalso use any one or more of these features of construction separately orin combination with any one or more of the others mentioned.-

l-Ieretofore and prior to my invention a copy-book has been used inwhich the pages have been divided in such manner that the upper portionsthereof may be used consecutively from the beginning to the end, whilethe other portions below the dividing-line are used in the oppositedirection, the book being reversed for such purpose. In this instance,however, there is no dividing transverse space forming a marginalseparation between the upper and the lower halves of the book. It doesnot, therefore, make a practical separation between the two portions ofthe pages, whereby the book can serve, practically,-as two books-as, forexample, a day-book and ledger, or other similar purposes. This blankmargin is indispensable in all cases where the book is adapted to theuses proposed in this specification. It will readily be seen that infooting the columns, and for other purposes, its presence is essential,for without it the reversely-paged duplex tabulation is worthless.

In the drawings I have shown the blankbook divided by a transverse blankspace and a lining centrally arranged in said space in Figs. 1 to 5,inclusive; and in Fig. 10 I have shown the blank-book divided by atransverse blank space without a central lining.

What I claim is 1. A bound volume in which the leaves are trimmed orarranged with'their end edges lying in a plane forming an angle with theplane of the leaves of less than ninety degrees, substantially asdescribed.

2. Abound volumehaving its pages marked to form equal upper and lowerdivisions, said leaves being so formed and arranged as to present theirends in two parallel planes which form angles of less than ninetydegrees with of independent elastic sustaining devices interposedbetween the backing and the binding and adapted to aid in opening thevolume and to support the binder when the volume is opened,substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a bound volume, of elastic plates interposedbetween the backin g and the binding and adapted to be placed undertension by opening the book, the edges of the said plates overlappingeach other, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a bound volume, of elastic sustaining-plates,having attachment at their edges to the backing, and having their freeedges overlapping and exerting an elastic and constant tension upon themiddle portion of the backing, substantially as described.

6. A bound volume having its edges or the ends of its leaves trimmed offat angles less than ninety degrees with the plane of the leaves,saidjangles being reversed at the opposite ends, substantially asdescribed.

7 A bound volume having a reverse bevel upon opposite edges of theleaves, whereby a double reverse overhang is formed to facilitate theseparation of the leaves, substantially as described.

8. In a blank-book, a series of pages divided by a transverse blankspace from the beginning to the end of the volume, the pages uponopposite sides of said space beingnumbered in opposite directions andthe ends of the leaves being beveled or cut in parallel planes and atangles less than ninety degrees with the plane of the leaves,substantially as described.

9. A book having its pages divided by a blank space running transverselyto said pages, said space being divided centrally by a ruling, alsotransverse to the pages, the leaves upon one side of said space beingnumbered in one direction and upon the opposite side of saidtransverse'space in the opposite direction, and the ends of the leavesbeing trimmed in parallel planes forming less than an angle of ninetydegrees with the plane of said pages, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed. my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ADDISON C. FLETCHER.

Witnesses:

JAMEs L. NoRRIs, J AMES A. RUTHERFORD.

